Lost But Never Alone
by spottedhorse
Summary: Catherine and Gil are snatched away from their truck. Brass and the CSIs are looking for them but if they are going to survive, they have to help themselves.
1. Chapter 1

It was in many ways a normal accident scene. Vehicle side-swiped and left the road. Offender had disappeared...your basic hit and run. But it wasn't a normal accident scene. The side-swiped vehicle was registered to LVPD; more specifically it was one of the Denalis that belonged to CSI. This one was Catherine's Denali. And Gil Grissom had been her passenger. Now both CSIs were missing. And Jim Brass was worried. His eyes surveyed the landscape that surrounded them; desert. They wouldn't survive out there long, especially if either was hurt. It was a hot day, even for summer and there would be no water. But they knew that. And neither was stupid enough to go wandering in the desert like that. So, where were they? He called CSI one more time, just to be sure they hadn't checked in. Then an officer found something...their cell phones. _Guess they won't be checking in for sure now_, thought the detective.

They had searched for more clues. Nothing. Nick did lift some tire tracks but there were several different sets, so that probably wasn't a very good lead. Warrick had taken paint samples from the Denali where the other vehicle had come in contact. That might prove more helpful. But that was it, no other clues. His two friends had just vanished. Jim's heart was heavy but he didn't have time to think too much about how he would cope if they disappeared from his life forever. He needed to find them. It was his job as a cop; more importantly, it was his duty as their friend.

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GIl and Catherine were in the dark. Their hands were tied, their mouths taped shut, and their eyes were blindfolded. Gil had the sense that even without the blindfolds, they would be in the dark. He listened intently. He could hear her breathing. _Good, she's alive_. He tested his bonds again. The wrists were tightly wrapped and his feet were immobile, tied at the ankles. He heard her grunt. He grunted back to let her know he was there. Then she moaned. After years of silent communication with expressions or simply the tilt of a head or arch of an eyebrow, they were reduced to grunts and moans as their only form of communication. But at least each knew the other was alive. That was a start.

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Back at the station, Brass had a bulletin issued on the CSIs. Every cop in the county would be looking. He called Ecklie to fill him in and then received a call from the Sheriff. It didn't take long because Jim really didn't have anything to report beyond the fact that two CSIs were missing. Two very special CSIs.

Over at the lab, Nick and Warrick were going over their findings from the scene. Warrick had Hodges run the paint scrapings while he checked their equipment and cell phones for finger prints. He knew that finding prints other than Griss and Cath's was a long shot, but one he was willing to pursue.

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Gil tried to scoot towards the sound of her breathing. He needed to touch her, assure himself that she was there. He heard a scooting sound coming from her direction. They were on the same page, as usual. Finally, after great effort, they bumped into one another. Her warmth felt good to him. They leaned against each other for comfort.

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Hodges found Warrick and shared his findings. "Your paint came from a Chevy, one of their trucks. Years were 1995-99. Color was pewter. Sand was embedded in it too, as if the truck spends a lot of time in the desert. Not surprising around here, I suppose."

"Is there enough sand to be able to locate it's origins?"

"I doubt it but we are trying to run a comparison anyway."

"We?"

"Wendy is helping me."

"Thanks Hodges. Keep me posted, okay?"

"Sure."

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Jim Brass was edgy. Precious time was passing and they still had no leads. He worried about his friends; where they were and if they were alive. Finally he headed to the lab to see for himself that everything was being done. On his way out of the building, he rean into Sofia Curtis. "Hey Jim. Any word?"

"No. And it's driving me crazy. Headed over to the lab."

"Mind if I tag along?"

"Please do..."

The two detectives got into his car and sped out of the lot towards the lab.

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Catherine scooted around him a little and then began nudging her head along his shoulder. She worked her way up towards his face. Gil wasn't sure what she was doing. It was a little startling. Under other circumstances, he might have wondered if she was flirting again, but these were hardly flirting circs. Fianlly she found her target. Her cheek was on his. She worked her mouth towards his and suddenly he understood what she was doing. Catching the edge of her tape on the edge of his tape, she was able to work the retsraint loose. It was a slow, frustrating process that was eventually rewarded. Once the tape loosened, she was sble to catch enough of her tape on his tape to yank it loose. They wiggled their mouths until the tapes fell away. "Wow, Cath... that was amazing."

"Yeah...well...it was starting to itch. So now what do we do?"

"Try to free our hands."

Feeling around their retsraints with their fingers, they were able to determine that zip-ties had been used. "This is going to be a challenge," he commented.

"Yeah...do you think we could sit back to back and one of us work the other free?"

"I don't know...but I sure can't work myself free."

They scooted and wiggled until they were back to back. Now that they could talk, they were able to co ordinate their efforts and things were going smoother. She tugged and strained at his binds to no avail. He pulled and tugged at her but there was no give. "Gil, I need a break," she finally sighed.

"Yeah...me too." He began to try to come up with another plan. His mind sank deep into thought about the problem._ Zip ties...how are we going to break those loose? _"Cath...if we quit pulling them tight maybe we can..."

"Gotcha.."

The relaxed their arms, taking the pressure off the ties. She worked her fingers onto his and found the end. Slowly, painfully slowly, she began to work the end back through the clip. It was difficult to back a tie out under the best circumstances, this was agonizing. But she felt some give and knew their patience was paying off.

She could feel that they were almost to the end when suddenly they heard the door opening. "Awww, looky here, we're all cozy and friendly in here," a snarly voice said. Footsteps sounded and then Gil felt Catherine being snatched away. He began to fight with the zip tie. It was cutting into his wrist but he didn't care. He sensed that Catherine was in immediate danger.

Snarly Voice was talking to her. "Ain't you a pretty thing...I can't kill ya, but that don't mean I can't have some fun." He pushed her into a chair. "Hands off, you bastard!" exclaimed Catherine.

_No Catherine, don't antagonize him_, thought Gil as he continued his battle with the restraints. His blood was making the ties slippery.

"Looky here what you've been hiding," Gil heard Snarly say as he also heard fabric tearing. He was becoming frantic in his effort to free himself.

"You son-of-a bitch..." he heard Cath spit at the molester.

"Ooooo, I like a fighter. Well, fight this you little whore..."

Gil heard her gasp in pain as Snarly did something...he could only imagine. He felt the tie slipping onto the heel of his hand. If he could just get it to keep moving...

"Let's see what else you been hiding..." Gil could hear the rustling of clothes. Then Catherine gasped again. "Umphhhh," sounded like Snarly.

"You little bitch... trying to hurt me there! I'll show you a world of hurt," Then a loud slap was heard from the other room. Gil was almost free but he knew if he rushed the thing might slip back up his wrist. Another slap sounded and Catherine grunted. Gil keep at it, trying to get out of his bonds.

"Now maybe you understand you little bitch...your ass is mine. And believe me, I intend to use it," said Snarly. "But first..." More sounds and a gasp and grunt from Catherine.

Finally Gil was free. Pulling the blindfold off he saw Catherine and Snarly in the next room. He looked for something to free his ankles quickly but saw nothing. Forcing himself to his feet as quietly as possible, he launched himself toward Snarly, hopping as he went. It was enough of a distraction to get Snarly off Catherine but now he was coming full force at Gil. Catherine's hands were still tied but her feet had been freed, so she was able to charge at Snarly. Gil spotted a piece of loose lumber in the corner and as Catherine knocked the perp sideways, Gil grabbed the lumber and began to hit him with it. Snarly fell to the ground, out cold.

Fumbling through his pockets, Gil found Snarly's pocket knife and cut himself and Catherine free. She fell into his arms and he held her as she sobbed uncontrollably. After a couple of minutes he spoke softly, "Cath, we have to get out of here. We don't know if he has any friends that will show up."

Still crying, she nodded. "I know."

Gil surveyed her clothing. She'd need a shirt. Quickly he pulled his off and slipped it onto her. His tee shirt would have to do for him. They stepped out of the cabin into the hot Nevada desert.

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Please...reviews? Let me know what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

Brass and Sofia walked into the lab. Warrick saw them in the hall and updated them.

"So we still have nothing?" Asked Brass.

Warrick shook his head and grimaced. "All we got is a chevy truck, pewter color...'95-'99. Hodges and Wendy are trying to trace the sand in the paint but he's not hopeful."

"Damn," flinched Brass.

Sofia opened her phone to call in the new information. It would be added to the bulletin.

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Gil spotted the truck in the wash behind the cabin. They hurried to it.

"Do you have the keys?" asked Catherine.

"No," replied Gil. He looked surprised at the thought that he would.

"You were digging in his pockets...I thought maybe..."

"Sorry...didn't think about that."

She looked back toward the cabin. "Don't go back. Come on..."

She moved towards the truck. Thankfully it was unlocked. Climbing behind the wheel, she worked her way under the dash. Gil climbed in on the other side, watching her, intrigued.

"What?" she asked as she saw his expression.

"You know how to hotwire cars?" he asked.

"Had to learn with Eddie. He was always getting the car repossessed. Or losing his keys while we were out. So I had to learn." She shrugged her shoulders.

A small smirk travelled across Gil's face. "Your talents never cease to amaze me," he sighed.

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"Got it," declared Hodges as he walked into the break room.

"What?" asked Warrick.

"Red Rock Canyon...the sand from the paint..."

"Great, now we have a place to start looking," declared Brass. He was on his phone immediately.

The group headed towards their cars to join the search.

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Catherine was able to get the truck started and the bounced along the wash. They had no idea where they were and no idea what time of day it was. Otherwise they might have been able to choose a direction. Without any information, however, following the wash seemed like a good choice.

As she drove, Gil stared ahead. He was also watching for signs that someone might be following them. As he glanced behind him and then back to the front, his eyes caught Catherine's expression. "Cath, I'm sorry..." he said. "I was tryiong to get to you sooner but..." He was miserable that Snarly had gotten to her.

"I know, Gil." She looked at him, her eyes sad and frightened still, but reassuring also. Then she saw his wrists and gasped. "Gil, your wrists!"

He looked at them for the first time. The zip ties had cut into them deeply and blood still ozzed from several places along the cut lines. His hands were covered in his blood. He looked around the truck for a rag or something to wipe them or maybe wrap them with. He found nothing. She stopped the truck, throwing the gear into park and tugged at the tail of his shirt that she was wearing. Tearing the fabric, she managed to get strips long enough to act as bandages. He held his wrists out for her to wrap them, watching her as she worked. She seemed calm enough now but he knew that she was concentrating on getting them out of there. Once they were safe and she had time to think, he knew the horror would set in. He determined that she wouldn't be alone when reality hit. "Cath...he...did he..." Gil couldn't bring himself to say the words. The thought that anyone, let alone an SOB like Snarly, had touched her in that way sickened him. And he had been powerless to keep the guy off of her. He was ashamed...he should have been able to do more to help her. Logic told him he had done the best he could, but his heart chastised him for his failure to protect her.

She looked at him, her eyes threatening tears but the expression was blank. The implications of his question stung. Looking away, she mumbled, "yeah... he got penetration...but you got there before he..." She couldn't continue.

"I'm sorry, Cath. I'm so sorry..." He reached for her but she pulled away.

"I know, Gil. And I know you got there as fast as you could. Your wrists tell me how hard you fought to get free. And I'm grateful... but I can't think anymore about that now. We need to get out of here."

He had been hurt by her pulling away, but he understood. It was a natural reaction. Still, he wanted, no...needed to comfort her. Somewhere inside his head he realized that he was being selfish in his need. He felt like he had failed her...he had failed her, and he needed to do something to make it better. She needed her space. He sighed heavily and decided to concentrate on their escape. That was the best he could do to help her right now. Maybe comfort would come later.

They continued the path down the draw. Off in the distance, he saw signs of life; not people life, wildlife and vegetation. "Cath, look over there," he said as he pointed. "There could be water."

"Yeah, she agreed. They followed the draw awhile longer and then she veered off toward the vegetation. They arrived a a small watering hole. "We need to be careful," he warned. "This is probably the only water for miles. All kinds of creatures probably come here."

"Yeah...careful...But is the water safe to drink?"

"I don't see any dead animals."

They walked toward the water, watching all around as they approached. Gil thought he heard a rattle but it sounded distant, so he wasn't too alarmed by it. Something scurried under a shrub near the pool. Catherine thought she saw a jack rabbit hopping away. The water looked a little murky but as he dipped his hands in, Gil was surprised that it was as clear as it was. "Small sips," he cautioned. He knew they'd probably end up with severe belly aches, but they had to have some water. It was hot and the last thing they needed was to dehydrate. He wished they had the means to boil it or something, but they were woefully unprepared for their desert trek. They splashed some of it on their faces and Gil ran it over his hair. The cooling effect was immediate if brief. "I wish we had a way to take some with us," he mused.

"Yeah...well... guess this will have to last awhile."

They headed back to the truck and climbed in. Once it was started again, they found their way back to the draw. Gil continued to scan for signs of human life. He wondered what they would do if they found any. Would the human life be friend or foe?

A few more minutes passed and he saw light reflecting off of something ahead. Catherine spotted it too. As they neared the reflection excitemnet set in. It was a road sign. Once they made it to the road the question became 'which way.' Gil pondered it for a moment. "The sun's been travelling from over back over there to up over there," he said as he pointed directions. "Which means that is roughly east and over there is roughly west. Question is, where's Vegas in relation?"

"Wish we had a coin to flip." quipped Catherine.

Gil shrugged. He looked one way and then the other. Off in the distance he saw a the mountains and thought the shape looked familiar. "I think. Vegas is back that way," he said finally.

"Suits me," replied Catherine and she turned the truck in the direction he indicated.

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The search of Red Rock Canyon was in full swing. They scoured every nook and cranny. The LVPD chopper flew over, having joined the search. Nothing. They found nothing. But everyone kept at it. It was a determined group that was being led by Jim Brass. They would find the missing CSIs. He hoped they would find them in time.

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The truck began to lurch. "Shit," exclaimed Catherine.

"What?"

"Gas..." The truck died as she said it. She tried to restart it but there was no hope. "Guess we're on foot."

Gil looked at the sun. "It's the heat of the day...don't want to be walking in it. Let's try to push this off the road and we can sit in whatever shade it provides until the worst passes."

"Yeah...okay."

They managed to get the truck a foot off the road. Gil thought that sitting in the sand and dirt would be a little cooler than sitting on the pavement. Catherine had to agree that he was probably right; although cool didn't describe anything about this little adventure. They leaned against the truck on the side opposite the sun. Eventually she leaned into him a little, taking comfort from his presence. _At least I won't die alone,_ she thought.

He was relieved that she was willing to make physical contact. He had been afraid earlier that she would shun him totally after her experience. He wanted to put his arm around her and hold her but he decided to let her come to him. He was simply thankful that he was there for her. He wished he could have done better back at the cabin. He also wished he'd beaten Snarly to death with that board while he had the chance. That kind of anger and hatred wasn't in his nature but he he had seen it enough in others. That he felt it now appalled him but he felt justified. Snarly had done the unthinkable. To defile a woman in that way was the lowest a man could get in Gil's opinion. And that he had done it to Catherine angered Gil even more.

She sensed his strong emotions. "Gil...try not to think about it. It's over and we have more important issues right now."

"Cath... it's all I can think about. He...I should have killed him when I had the chance. And it's not over. You know it's not."

"I can't deal with all that. I just want to get home and hug Lindsey, okay. I'll deal with the rest later."

"I should have been able to protect you better. They never should have gotten us out of the car in the first place. If I'd been wearing my gun instead of storing it in my kit...'

"Stop it, Gil. You're worrying about how this is going to change me. Don't let it do this to you." She put her hand on his cheek. "You're one of the best men I know and you can't let someone like Snarly take you away from me. I need Gil Grissom...I need 'my Gil' to help me get through this. Okay?"

He stared inot her dusty, saddened blue eyes and saw her tears forming. He felt them in his own eyes. "Can I please hold you?" he asked quietly.

She settled into his arms and rested her head on his chest. "There's no place I'd rather be right now."

He chuckled, "except at home in your hot tub."

""Please...nothing with the word 'hot' in it ever again. I'm thinking of moving to Alaska right now."

They sat there, quietly giving comfort for a long time, waiting for the sun to get past it's zenith so that they could continue their journey.

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So? What you thinking? The little button is right down there on the left.


	3. Chapter 3

Jim Brass was a very frustrated man. He stood in the middle of the desert, looking around him and knew that he was unable to help his friends. _Where are they? _he asked no one in particular for the hundredth time that day.

"Jim," called Sofia. "Just got a call from dispatch. A state trooper found a truck matching our description. The helicopter is headed there now."

They moved to his car and she fed him the location as he began to drive. They were miles away. _How could Hodges have been so wrong?_

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After resting awhile, Catherine and Gil had begun their trek again. They were following the road, hoping it would lead them back to Vegas. Far in the distance, Gil thought he saw a car coming toward them. It was difficult to tell, however, since it was in the middle of a mirage effect and things were blurry. As it came closer, Cathereine tensed, "Gil, I think that's the car we saw just before we got run off the road by the truck. I think the rest of Snarly's crew was in the car.

Gil quickly considered her words and looked for cover of some sort. There was a dip off the shoulder of the road a few feet ahead. It would have to do. Grabbing her hand, he led her down the slope and they stretched out against the hot sand, hoping that the slope was enough to hide them from the road.They stayed very still as they listened for the approaching car. Soon the noise of it's engine hummed by them and faded into the distance. They waited another minute or two and stood up to return to the road.

They continued walking. Gil was worried about the car. If it was Snarly's friends, they would find the truck. The question in his mind was would they go to the cabin to check things out or would they guess what had happened and start looking for their former prisoners. If they started looking immediately, then Gil knew he and Cahterine were in worse trouble. Hopefully they would continue on to the cabin. That would buy time.

A little later down the road Catherine stopped. "Gil, I need a break."

"Yeah, me too. They edged off the road and found a soft spot to sit. As they rested, he surveyed the horizon, looking for signs of trouble or help, whichever came first.

"Wiah I'd worn different shoes," commented Catherine as she pulled hers off and rubbed her feet.

Gil looked on with concern. "Cath, be careful about that. With this much walking, your feet are going to swell and it might be difficult to put your shoes back on."

"Oh..yeah...right. Sorry, I wasn't thinking." She slipped her shoes back on.

After another few minutes they stood to start the journey again. It was then that they heard it; a rattle. Gil frantically looked around and saw the snake coiled, just a few feet from Catherine. "Stay very still," he warned.

She stood, frozen. He saw a big rock a little off to his right and decided that he could get it and throw it, perhaps distracting the thing. Slowly he leaned toward the rock. His small motion seemed to irritate the reptile, however, and it pulled it's head back to strick. Gil made and instant decision and pushed Catherine aside, leaving himself open to the lunge of the snake. It struck him in his calf. Catherine had recovered from her push and threw a large rock at it, hitting it's tail. It struck in that direction and then slithered away.

Gil sat heavily on the side of the road. He could feel the effects of the venom already. She ripped more shirttail and tied a it just below his knee. She tightened it as much as she dared. "That should slow the effects," she said.

"Yeah..." replied Gil. He knew that time was now a huge issue though. "Catherine, you need to go on without me. Snarly's gang will find the truck and they'll be back. And the more I walk, the quicker the venom circulates. Our best chance is for you to find help. I'll stay low here, but you have to keep going.

"No," she said emphatically. "We stick together."

"Cath, that makes no sense..." He had to think of a way to get her out of there. He wanted her gone for two reasons. He didn't want Snarly to get his hands on her again. And he didn't want her to watch him die from snake bite. He'd seen it before, it wasn't pretty.

"No," she said again. "I'm not leaving you here by yourself."

"Cath, there's nothing you can do for me...please, go...if you don't get back in time, at least I'll have some peace that Snarly isn't at you again."

She was crying now. "No!" She sat beside him and took his hand."I can't leave you like this...I won't." And so they sat. "Gil, we may be lost out here in the middle of the godforsaken desert, but you are not alone. I'm not going to leave you alone. And I don't want to be alone either. Whatever is ahead for one of us is ahead for both of us."

A few minutes later he looked at her. "You are the most stubborn woman I've ever known. You know that don't you?"

Her dry, cracked lips broke into a small smile. "Yes." Her hand went to his smude covered face. "Gil...I..." A tear slid down her cheek.

"It's okay, Cath. I know."

She looked at him incredulously. "You know what?"

"That I'm stubborn too."

"Well, yes you are...but that wasn't what I was going to say."

"Oh?"

"No, it wasn't."

He swam in her blue eyes for a second and then spoke, "I need to tell you something. I need to say it before I...well, at least once in my lifetime."

She looked at him curiously. Then she put her hand on his arm. "You're not going to .." she choked back tears, " ...die Gil Grissom. I won't let you."

He patted her arm."I know...but Catherine, I still need to say this. I may never have the courage again."

"Okay."

Lookinmg into her eyes again, he began. "You remember that first night when we met at the club?"

"Yes...you were very shy but I thought it was cute the way you were determined to speak to me."

Gil flushed a little that she still remembered that after all these years. "Yeah...well, watching you dance and then talking to you later. You stole my heart away."

"Oh... right. Like I was good enough for you..."

He flinched at her words. "Don't say that, Cath. Don't ever say that like that. You are a good person...a fine person. That's why I...well, I fell in love with you that night. And...I've been in love with you all these years."

She looked at him, dumbfounded. She wanted to say something...respond. But she couldn't think of waht ot say. _He's been in love with me all this time?_

"I know we've been doing the friends thing and at times it feels like we're more like brother and sister, but underneath it all, Cath, I've loved you...and not in a brotherly way either. I just wanted you to know that before I...ah, well...just in case."

"All these years, Gil. You've kept that from me all these years?"

"Well, I wanted to tell you and then you got involved with Eddie and then married him. After that we just settled into the friendship thing and I didn't want to ruin it. I've needed you close to me. And I was willing to sacrifice my more romantic notions to be able to keep you close."

She was flabbergasted. "Gil? Didn't it ever occur to you that maybe I might want the romantic notions? That I might have some of my own?"

Sheepishly he looked at her. "No, it didn't. You always seemed interested in guys that were...well, very different than me. I guess I just figured I'm not your type."

"Well, when we get out of this mess...and we will, you and I need to have a serious conversation about all of this. As for 'my type,' loser seems to fit the bill. But I think I kept choosing them so that I could make a clean break when things got to close. But I don't intend to have this conversation out here with my brains boiling. We'll save it for later."

The effects of the venom were taking their toll on Gil. He was beginning to feel fuzzy and light headed. Also, his leg was really beginning to hurt as cells began to die. "Please, Cath...go on without me. Please. I need to believe that you'll be okay."

She held his hand. She didn't like the way his voice sounded and he was looking grey. "No Gil. I'm not leaving this spot without you."

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Jim and Sofia felt that they must be getting close. She scanned the sky but couldn't see the chopper. Worry was creeping through her again. Glancing at Jim, she saw the lines etched in his face. This was as close to panic as she had ever seen him.

Suddenly something caught her attention along the horizon. "There's something ahead, Jim."

He looked and saw what she was pointing to. "Yeah..."

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As the car approached, Catherine tried to stand. She was weak now from lack of water. Gil was in and out of conciousness and looking terrible. She knew she had to risk waving for help. As unsteady as she was, she managed to get to her feet and began to wave.

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Sofia spotted Catherine first. She quickly called in thier location, requesting an ambulance. Jim sped to the spot and hit the brakes. Both detectives were out of the car in an instant.

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Cahterine was relieved to see friendly faces. As they approached, she fell into Jim's arms. "Gil...snake bite," was all she could say. Sofia checked on him and saw that he was in serious trouble. Jim called in a medivac and requested that the hospital be alerted for snake bite. Sofia ran back to the car and retrieved a bottle of water. Offering it to Catherine, she warned, "drink slowly... a little at a time." Catherine took a few sips and then leaned down next to Gil. She poured a little on his lips. His tongue responded as he licked the precious water from his lips. His eyes fluttered open briefly and he was lucid for a moment. "Love you," he mumbled. Catherine knew that he was convinced that he would die. She leaned over him and gently kissed him. "Stay with me..."

A few minutes later, the medivac arrived. As the paramedics secured Gil, an ambulance and the rest of the team arrived, along with several squad cars from the Sheriff's office. Catherine told Jim about Snarly and his gang and how to find them. He led the patrol cars as they headed out to find the kidnappers. Warrick, Nick, Greg, and Sara all approached Catherine, unasked questions written in thier faces.

Catherine looked at Sara. "I need you to go with me to the hospital and bring your kit." She shot the other female a look that Sara read instantly. Catherine had been raped.

The guys were slower to catch on but anger set in as each one realized Catherine's meaning. Before leaving on the ambulance, she gave them directions for the investigation. The truck and cabin were both evidence riddled. They needed to go over both. "Thanks guys," she smiled as she was loaded into the ambulance. The chopper had left minutes before with Gil.

As Catherine and Sara sped back to Vegas, the remaining CSIs backtracked the trail of evidence, collecting every morsal they could use to hang the perps. They were determined that hell would freeze over before these bastards got out of jail.

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Okay? Is it going in the right direction?


	4. Chapter 4

_As I write this chapter, it is September 11, 2007. I feel compelled to take a moment to stop and remember all the lives that were cut fat too short by the events on this day six years ago. And I also feel compelled to send up a special prayer for all those public servants that were lost on that day or have suffered terrible after effects because of their service that day. Our heros of CSI are only made up ones; those people from that day are the real heros and their sacrifices deserve our gratitude and rememberence. _

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Brass found the truck. He left a squad car to watch it until the CSIs arrived to process it. He and another car sped on down the road, continuing to backtrack. A few minutes later, the CSIs arrived at the truck. Nick and Warrick left Greg with the truck as they headed down the road also.

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The chopper arrived at the hospital and Gil was off loaded into the ER. The paramedic was detailing the vitals and explaining the injury. "Snakebite to the right calf. Mild hypotension and tachycardia with tachypnea. In out of conciousness during transport. A wrap was applied above the bite but below the knee. Don't know how long since the bite."

The ER physician took in all the information. He ordered a dose of antivenin with more to follow. The IV from the paramedics was giving Gil the fluids that he needed. Bood was taken and rushed to the lab. His blood pressure was checked, systolic was at 82. Heart rate was at 138. The doctor observed mild fasciculations.

As he examined the wound the doctor noted severe swelling, effecting most of his lower leg. Slight swelling was noted in and above the knee. The antivenin was administered and Gil was monitored for it's effects. The blood test results came back indicating mild coalugopathy but he found no clinical signs. Ecchymosis was expanding.

Catherine arrived as Gil recieved his second dose of antivenin. She too was hooked to an IV, receiving much needed fluids. Sara went to check on Grissom. The doctor gave her a quick run down; lowered blood pressure and heart rate, mild muscle twitching, rapid breathing, severe swelling in the lower leg. Antivenin would be administered as indicated. His condition was considered severe but not life threatening. Sara thanked the doctor and went back to inform Catherine.

The nurse told her that the patient was ready for the rape kit. Sara thanked the nurse and went into Catherine. After filling her in on Gil's condition, she ran the rape kit. Catherine had told her not to expect semen but they checked anyway. Her inuries indicated forced entry. Sara winced as she realized the brutality of the attack. "Catherine, I'm so sorry this happened to you."

"Yeah, thanks...but I'm in a lot better shape than Gil. I want to see him, Sara."

"I'll see if that can be arranged." Sara headed back into the hallway to talk to the nurse

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Brass, Nick and Warrick found the cabin. With the two uniforms, Brass entered. Snarly was on the floor. Jim checked his pulse; he was dead. Quickly looking at the guy, Jim guessed that one of Gil's blows to his head was the cause. He called for a coroner. Nick and Warrick entered and began processing the room. It would take David a long time to get here. The body would have to wait. None of the men was sorry that Snarly was dead. They just wished that he'd long enough for them to get a piece of him.

One of the uniforms called out that a car was approaching. Brass told the CSIs to stay inside. He and the uniforms spread out and waited. The car got closer but slowed down. The car stopped. Suddenly it reversed and turned and accelerated as it headed away. The cops jumped in their cars and headed after them. None of the vehicles were equipped for this kind of desert run. Brass was hoping that the good guys would have an advantage with newer, better maintained cars.

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Sara came back to Catherine. "Nurse says not yet. They want you to get your fluids up a little more before letting you move around any and besides, things are still pretty intense with Grissom and we'd be in the way. She says that she'll come get us as soon as the doctor says it's okay."

Catherine was not happy with the news. She really needed to see him. Now that they had finally begun to explore their deeper feelings for one another, she was determined to not loose the connection.

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Brass had called for backup, trying to describe the area where they were and where they were headed. It would probably be a useless effort, he knew, but just maybe...

The perps' car stalled and it sputtered to a halt. Brass and the squad car stopped on either side. The men fell out of the car, trying to run. They were trapped, however and soon in cuffs. Another squad car arrived and the uniforms took them back to Vegas while Brass returned to the cabin. David arrived just behind him.

"Got anything?" Brass asked the CSIs.

"Apparently they were bound and held in this room," said Warrick from the other room. "There's blood and broken zip-ties, along with pieces of tape and blindfolds."

"Yeah, and there are signs of a struggle around this table," continued Nick. "Scratch marks on the floor and some fresh marks on the table." Nick stepped back. "Grissommust have surprised him from here, knocking him off Catherine and then he fell over to there " he said as he pointed to Snarly.

"Yeah, sounds right," agreed Warrick.

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Growing impatient with waiting, Catherine stood and held the pole for her IV. Sara tried to get her to get back on the guerney, but she refused to listen. Slowly she made her way into the hall. Walking down the hall, she peered into each room, looking for Gil. Sara follwed, trying to get her to turn around. "No," Catherine declared. "I need to see him." Just then she arrived at his door. The doctor glanced up and saw her. "Ms. Willows, I was just going to ask the nurse to get you. Let's get you a chair. You can come in for a few minutes. We're waiting for another lab to determine if we've finally gotten the venom under control. He's in and out but doesn't stay awake long...and he is in a lot of pain."

A nirse wheeled in a chair and Catherine sat. Sara stood just behind her. Catherine wheeled close to him, finding his hand and holding it. His eyes fluttered open. "Over here, Gil" she said. He turned toward her and smiled. "You okay?" he asked faintly.

"Better than you," she teased. "But you're going to be fine. It's just going to take a while for you to feel better."

"Hmmmm," he moaned. "If you're okay, I'm okay." He slid back into the dark.

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Brass and the CSIs showed up a bout an hour later. The truck had been towed into the garage and dayshift had taken over the investigation. They were off the clock; ordered by Ecklie to go by and visit Grissom and Catherine and then to go home and get some sleep. When they arrived, Sara said she needed to run the kit over to the lab but she'd be back.

They all spent some time with Catherine and then one by one went in to check on Grissom. Brass stood by his friend's bed. "We got them Gil," he said in a low hard voice. "And that guy won't be raping anyone anymore. He paid for what he did to her. You got him, Buddy. I know you won't like it that he died, but he was a sorry son of a bitch deserved what you gave him. And Catherine's safe now. You did good. Now you just need to get better."

Catherine was released from the hospital the following morning. GIl was in his own room now, still in great pain and suffering. The antivenin had finally had the desired effects and his vitals were returning to normal. The tissue around the bite had been severly damaged, however. The doctors were consulting over the possibilty of a surgery to remove the dead tissue and help the healing process to begin. Everyone but Catherine stopped by during the day. Catherine refusesd to leave and so sat with him throught the day and night.

Somewhere in the night he finally woke up and was lucid. He didn't remember much after being bitten. He did remember telling her how he really felt about her. But he wasn't sure how she felt. Her presence comforted him, but he was also a little afraid. What if she didn't return his feelings?

She continued to hold his hand, squeezing it between hers. "You gave us all a pretty good scare, Gil."

"Sorry," he smiled.

"Me especially...I haven't been able to get what you said out of my mind." He stared at her blanky, trying to mask his fear. She continued, "Don't know if this is the time or the place but I have something I need to say to you." She paused to gather her courage. "That first night at the club...you touched me...emotionally, like no one ever had before. When you watched me dance, it was like you wnated ot know _me_, Catherine, and you treated me with such respect. Gil, over the years, you've been angry with me, disappointed, wary of my choices and disgusted with some of them. But never once were you disrespectful or uncaring. You said that I stole your heart away. Well, you didn't steal my heart, I gave it to you. And it's yours for as long as you want it. I love you Gil."

His eyes closed at her revelation. When they opened he looked at her with such love and tenderness. Her heart swelled at his expression. She thought that she was going to like where their relationship was going. "Now you just need ot get well, so we can find out what comes next." She smiled.

"Next?" he asked hopefully.

"You don't think that I'm going to let you of the hook, do you? You told me how you feel and now you are mine, Gil Grissom. No more hide and seek, for either of us. It's out there now and we're going to explore it."

"I like that..." he said as his eyes closed and he drifted away again.The next day he was wheeled into surgery to remove dead tissue. The scars would be deep and healing would take a long time. But with the dead tissue gone the risks of infection decreased and new tissue could grow. The doctor had explained to him that there would still be regular treatments to remove tissue from the less severe areas, but that at the sight of the bite, the damage was too severe and surgery was the best option. Gil had nervously agreed. The doctor projected months for a full recovery and he could guarentee just how full the recovery would be. Muscle tissue had been damaged and Gil might never totally recover strength and mobility in that leg. They would know better after healing had begun and he'd done some physical therapy.

The surgery went well and after a few more days, Gil Grissom was released with doctors orders for his treatments and PT. A private nurse had been hired to stay with him and tend to his wound. He essentially had a gaping hole in his calf and much care needed to be taken with it. Infection was a very real threat. Catherine drove him three times a week to therapy and once a week for the wound to be cleaned. That was always painful. Slowly he was healing, the bite site taking the longest, of course. The treatments stopped and his therapy sessions were reduced to two a week.

With all the evidence in and a confession from one of the kidnappers, Brass had gotten the whole story. They had seen Gil and Cahterine in the Denali and thought they were rich tourists. They had kidnapped the two, hoping for a ransom. But once they had gone through their wallets, the perps realized they had bitten off more than they wanted. Once the story had hit the news, they knew they were in big trouble. Snarly, otherwise known as Edward Johnson, had been sent back to the cabin to kill the two prisoners. "Thing is," explained Brass, "he was a serial rapist just a few months out of prison in California. He couldn't pass on an opportunity. If he hadn't done what he did, you'd both be dead now, " he told them. "The others in the gang had rap sheets as long as my arm, but never anything this brutal. I suppose that's why they chose Johnson to do the killing. He had a very violent background. In any case, none of them will be hurting anyones slse anytime soon."

Gil and Catherine were grateful that the kidnappers had been caught. They knew that a trial was a given and they would have to tetify to the events, but for now they didn't have to think about it anymore.

By the time he was released from the doctor's care and declared healed, five months had passed. He still limped when he walked but even that was becoming less noticeable. Ecklie was making noises about not certifying him as fit to return to work, but the sheriff overrode him. "Grissom can work the desk at first but as soon as he says he is ready, he can go back in the field," the sheriff told Ecklie. And so Gil was scheduled for work the following Monday.

Catherine had come by to take him grocery shopping. He still didn't feel comfortable driving. They had grown closer and closer through his snakebite ordeal and her recovery from the attack. The rest of the team had been there for both of them but not in the way they had been there for each other. When they got back from the store and all the groceries had been put away, he cornered her in the kitchen. "You said we would explore our feelings when I was healed. Well, I'm okay. So now what, Cath?"

"What do you want us to be Gil?"

Looking at her thoughtfully, he replied. "I'm not sure, Cath...I mean, I feel like I know you so much already. Know your heart...understand your soul. I feel like we are connected ther in some invisible way. But..."

She looked into his eyes and she understood. His eyes were always his 'tell.' If she could see his eyes, she could read him like a book. She never understood why others couldn't. "I want a physical connection too, Gil. I feel you in my heart and soul. You're there with me all the time. But I need the pyhsical too...I need to feel your warmth close to me, you inside me."

Suddenly the room was several degress warmer for both of them. His eyes sparkled as he drew her nearer to him, bringing her just close enough to kiss. At first they explored timidly but the shyness quickly flamed into passion. They spent the afternoon in his bed, lust and love taking them to a new place in their relationship. Insatiable at first, they finally exhausted themselves as night fell. They remained in bed, however, basking in the warmth of their new relationship and not wanting to seperate.

"Gil?"

"Hmmm..."

"You sure you want to go back to work Monday?"

"Why?"

"Because, when Sam died I got a lot of money, you know. We could retire and you could become my kept man. We could do this all day everyday, you know."

Smiling at the thought he replied. "Well, we have all weekend to investigate that possibility." He kissed her and suddenly the flames of passion reignited. Thoughts were pushed from their minds as their carnal instincts took hold for another session of love making.

Gil kept this townhouse but he spent moe and more his time staying with Catherine. He liked this exploring their feelings thing. He intended to do much more exploring and discovering. And he was going to make sure nothing ever hurt her again. They had spent years hiding their feelings from one another but after one day of wandering, lost in the desert, they knew that neither would ever be alone.

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